Rethinking physical activity communication: using focus groups to understand women’s goals, values, and beliefs to improve public health

Abstract Background Communication about physical activity (PA) frames PA and influences what it means to people, including the role it plays in their lives. To the extent that PA messages can be designed to reflect outcomes that are relevant to what people most value experiencing and achieving in th...

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Main Authors: Michelle Segar, Jennifer M. Taber, Heather Patrick, Chan L. Thai, April Oh
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2017-05-01
Series:BMC Public Health
Subjects:
Online Access:http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-017-4361-1
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spelling doaj-d4695b7c473f420a8197b9039b46ce2f2020-11-25T00:55:44ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582017-05-0117111310.1186/s12889-017-4361-1Rethinking physical activity communication: using focus groups to understand women’s goals, values, and beliefs to improve public healthMichelle Segar0Jennifer M. Taber1Heather Patrick2Chan L. Thai3April Oh4Sport, Health, and Activity Research and Policy (SHARP) Center, University of MichiganBehavioral Research Program, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBehavioral Science, Carrot Sense, Inc.Department of Communication, Santa Clara UniversityHealth Communication and Informatics Research Branch, Behavioral Research Program, National Cancer InstituteAbstract Background Communication about physical activity (PA) frames PA and influences what it means to people, including the role it plays in their lives. To the extent that PA messages can be designed to reflect outcomes that are relevant to what people most value experiencing and achieving in their daily lives, the more compelling and effective they will be. Aligned with self-determination theory, this study investigated proximal goals and values that are salient in everyday life and how they could be leveraged through new messaging to better support PA participation among women. The present study was designed to examine the nature of women’s daily goals and priorities and investigate women’s PA beliefs, feelings, and experiences, in order to identify how PA may compete with or facilitate women’s daily goals and priorities. Preliminary recommendations are proposed for designing new PA messages that align PA with women’s daily goals and desired experiences to better motivate participation. Methods Eight focus groups were conducted with White, Black, and Hispanic/Latina women aged 22–49, stratified by amount of self-reported PA (29 low active participants, 11 high active participants). Respondents discussed their goals, values, and daily priorities along with beliefs, feelings about and experiences being physically active. Data were collected, coded, and analyzed using a thematic analysis strategy to identify emergent themes. Results Many of the goals and values that both low and high active participants discussed as desiring and valuing map on to key principles of self-determination theory. However, the discussions among low active participants suggested that their beliefs, feelings, experiences, and definitions of PA were in conflict with their proximal goals, values, and priorities, also undermining their psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Conclusions Findings from this study can be used to inform and evaluate new physical activity communication strategies that leverage more proximal goals, values, and experiences of happiness and success to better motivate PA among ethnically diverse low active women. Specifically, this research suggests a need to address how women’s daily goals and desired experiences may undermine PA participation, in addition to framing PA as facilitating rather than competing with their daily priorities and desired leisure-time experiences.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-017-4361-1Physical activityExerciseSelf-determination theoryGoalsValuesPriorities
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Michelle Segar
Jennifer M. Taber
Heather Patrick
Chan L. Thai
April Oh
spellingShingle Michelle Segar
Jennifer M. Taber
Heather Patrick
Chan L. Thai
April Oh
Rethinking physical activity communication: using focus groups to understand women’s goals, values, and beliefs to improve public health
BMC Public Health
Physical activity
Exercise
Self-determination theory
Goals
Values
Priorities
author_facet Michelle Segar
Jennifer M. Taber
Heather Patrick
Chan L. Thai
April Oh
author_sort Michelle Segar
title Rethinking physical activity communication: using focus groups to understand women’s goals, values, and beliefs to improve public health
title_short Rethinking physical activity communication: using focus groups to understand women’s goals, values, and beliefs to improve public health
title_full Rethinking physical activity communication: using focus groups to understand women’s goals, values, and beliefs to improve public health
title_fullStr Rethinking physical activity communication: using focus groups to understand women’s goals, values, and beliefs to improve public health
title_full_unstemmed Rethinking physical activity communication: using focus groups to understand women’s goals, values, and beliefs to improve public health
title_sort rethinking physical activity communication: using focus groups to understand women’s goals, values, and beliefs to improve public health
publisher BMC
series BMC Public Health
issn 1471-2458
publishDate 2017-05-01
description Abstract Background Communication about physical activity (PA) frames PA and influences what it means to people, including the role it plays in their lives. To the extent that PA messages can be designed to reflect outcomes that are relevant to what people most value experiencing and achieving in their daily lives, the more compelling and effective they will be. Aligned with self-determination theory, this study investigated proximal goals and values that are salient in everyday life and how they could be leveraged through new messaging to better support PA participation among women. The present study was designed to examine the nature of women’s daily goals and priorities and investigate women’s PA beliefs, feelings, and experiences, in order to identify how PA may compete with or facilitate women’s daily goals and priorities. Preliminary recommendations are proposed for designing new PA messages that align PA with women’s daily goals and desired experiences to better motivate participation. Methods Eight focus groups were conducted with White, Black, and Hispanic/Latina women aged 22–49, stratified by amount of self-reported PA (29 low active participants, 11 high active participants). Respondents discussed their goals, values, and daily priorities along with beliefs, feelings about and experiences being physically active. Data were collected, coded, and analyzed using a thematic analysis strategy to identify emergent themes. Results Many of the goals and values that both low and high active participants discussed as desiring and valuing map on to key principles of self-determination theory. However, the discussions among low active participants suggested that their beliefs, feelings, experiences, and definitions of PA were in conflict with their proximal goals, values, and priorities, also undermining their psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Conclusions Findings from this study can be used to inform and evaluate new physical activity communication strategies that leverage more proximal goals, values, and experiences of happiness and success to better motivate PA among ethnically diverse low active women. Specifically, this research suggests a need to address how women’s daily goals and desired experiences may undermine PA participation, in addition to framing PA as facilitating rather than competing with their daily priorities and desired leisure-time experiences.
topic Physical activity
Exercise
Self-determination theory
Goals
Values
Priorities
url http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-017-4361-1
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